Generalizar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
generalizar means "to generalise" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see generalizar with the rule to all cases, the problem to the whole country, his experience to other people and the conclusion from one example — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo generalizo la regla a todos los casos. — "Every day, I generalise the rule to all cases." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
generalizar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with generalizar, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo generalizo la regla a todos los casos. — "Every day, I generalise the rule to all cases." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo generalicé el problema a todo el país. — "Yesterday, I generalised the problem to the whole country." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo generalizaba su experiencia a los demás. — "In the past, I used to generalise his experience to other people." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros generalizaremos la conclusión a partir de un ejemplo. — "Tomorrow, we will generalise the conclusion from one example." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú generalizarías la regla a todos los casos. — "If you could, you would generalise the rule to all cases." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he generalizado el problema a todo el país. — "I have generalised the problem to the whole country." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él generaliza su experiencia a los demás. — "Normally, he/she generalises his experience to other people." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él generalizó la conclusión a partir de un ejemplo. — "Yesterday, he/she generalised the conclusion from one example." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros generalizábamos la regla a todos los casos. — "In the past, we used to generalise the rule to all cases." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo generalizaré el problema a todo el país. — "Tomorrow, I will generalise the problem to the whole country." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él generalice su experiencia a los demás. — "I hope that he/she generalises his experience to other people." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Generaliza la conclusión a partir de un ejemplo! — "Generalise the conclusion from one example!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using generalizar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: the rule to all cases, the problem to the whole country, his experience to other people and the conclusion from one example.
Dialogue 1: talking about the rule to all cases
Lucía: ¿Tú generalizas la regla a todos los casos? — "Do you generalise the rule to all cases?" Pedro: Sí, yo generalizo la regla a todos los casos. — "I generalise the rule to all cases." Lucía: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Pedro: Ayer, yo generalicé el problema a todo el país. — "Yesterday, I generalised the problem to the whole country." Lucía: Mañana, nosotros generalizaremos su experiencia a los demás. — "Tomorrow, we will generalise his experience to other people." Pedro: Si pudiera, yo generalizaría la conclusión a partir de un ejemplo. — "If I could, I would generalise the conclusion from one example." Lucía: Antes, yo generalizaba el problema a todo el país. — "In the past, I used to generalise the problem to the whole country." Pedro: Yo he generalizado la regla a todos los casos. — "I have generalised the rule to all cases." Lucía: ¡Generaliza su experiencia a los demás! — "Generalise his experience to other people!"
In this dialogue generalizar appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about his experience to other people
Lucía: Él generaliza su experiencia a los demás. — "he/she generalises his experience to other people." Pedro: ¿De verdad? ¿Él generaliza su experiencia a los demás todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she generalises his experience to other people every day?" Lucía: Sí, y ellos generalizan la conclusión a partir de un ejemplo. — "they generalise the conclusion from one example." Pedro: Ayer, ellos generalizaron su experiencia a los demás. — "Yesterday, they generalised his experience to other people." Lucía: Espero que él generalice la conclusión a partir de un ejemplo. — "I hope that he/she generalises the conclusion from one example." Pedro: Mañana, él generalizará su experiencia a los demás. — "Tomorrow, he/she will generalise his experience to other people." Lucía: Antes, nosotros generalizábamos la conclusión a partir de un ejemplo. — "In the past, we used to generalise the conclusion from one example." Pedro: Nosotros generalizamos la regla a todos los casos también. — "we generalise the rule to all cases too."
This dialogue shows generalizar in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with generalizar
The errors learners actually make with generalizar in everyday use, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me generalizo la regla a todos los casos.
- Right: Yo generalizo la regla a todos los casos.
- Why: generalizar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo generalizo la regla a todos los casos. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo generalizar la regla a todos los casos.
- Right: Yo generalizo la regla a todos los casos.
- Why: The infinitive generalizar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form generalizo.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo generalizo el problema a todo el país.
- Right: Ayer, yo generalicé el problema a todo el país.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo generalicé el problema a todo el país. — "Yesterday, I generalised the problem to the whole country."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy generalizado su experiencia a los demás.
- Right: Estoy generalizando su experiencia a los demás.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund generalizando for the progressive. The participle generalizado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he generalizado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros generaliza la regla a todos los casos.
- Right: Nosotros generalizamos la regla a todos los casos.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes generalizamos, while generaliza belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: generalizar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on generalizar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of generalizar in the present tense?
- (a) generalizamos
- (b) generalizo
- (c) generalizas
- (d) generaliza
Answer: (b) generalizo. The yo form is generalizo.
2. What is the tú form of generalizar in the present tense?
- (a) generalizas
- (b) generalizo
- (c) generaliza
- (d) generalizamos
Answer: (a) generalizas. The tú form is generalizas.
3. What is the él/ella form of generalizar in the present tense?
- (a) generalizo
- (b) generalizas
- (c) generalizamos
- (d) generaliza
Answer: (d) generaliza. The él/ella form is generaliza.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ la regla a todos los casos.
- (a) generaliza
- (b) generalizamos
- (c) generalizo
- (d) generalizas
Answer: (c) generalizo. The sentence needs the yo form generalizo.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ el problema a todo el país.
- (a) generalizamos
- (b) generalicé
- (c) generalizaste
- (d) generalizó
Answer: (b) generalicé. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is generalicé.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ su experiencia a los demás.
- (a) generalizaba
- (b) generalizabas
- (c) generalizábamos
- (d) generalizabais
Answer: (a) generalizaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is generalizaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ la conclusión a partir de un ejemplo.
- (a) generalizarás
- (b) generalizará
- (c) generalizaremos
- (d) generalizaré
Answer: (d) generalizaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is generalizaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la regla a todos los casos.
- (a) has generalizado
- (b) ha generalizado
- (c) hemos generalizado
- (d) he generalizado
Answer: (d) he generalizado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he generalizado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ su experiencia a los demás.
- (a) generalicéis
- (b) generalice
- (c) generalices
- (d) generalicemos
Answer: (b) generalice. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is generalice.
10. What does generalizar mean in English?
- (a) to pity
- (b) to generalise
- (c) to make sleepy
- (d) to lack
Answer: (b) to generalise. generalizar means "to generalise" in English.
Frequently asked questions about generalizar
What does generalizar mean?
generalizar means "to generalise" in English. Use it when you talk about the rule to all cases, the problem to the whole country, his experience to other people and the conclusion from one example — for example: Cada día, yo generalizo la regla a todos los casos. — "Every day, I generalise the rule to all cases."
Is there a reflexive form of generalizar?
No. generalizar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo generalizo la regla a todos los casos. — "Every day, I generalise the rule to all cases."
What is the most common mistake with generalizar?
The spelling change. Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is generalicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example generalice. Practise the yo form and the subjunctive forms until they feel automatic, and check them against the table on the conjugation page.
How can I practise generalizar?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.